Category: Port#

The Port category documents the physical and logical network ports of an object. It is a multi-value category -- any number of entries can be created per object, e.g. for a switch with 48 Ethernet ports or a server with multiple network adapters.

Ports are the bridge between logical and physical network documentation: On the logical side, they link via the Host address category to IP addresses and subnets; on the physical side, they connect via the field Connected to and the Connection category to the cabling infrastructure. Without a well-maintained Port category, the crucial building block to answer the question "Which server depends physically on which switch port and in which VLAN?" is missing.

Usage#

Typical use cases:

• Network documentation: Record every port with type, speed, MAC address, and standard. Together with the Interface and Host address categories, a complete network profile of the object is created.
• Cabling and patching: Using the Connected to and Cable fields, the physical connection between ports and patch panels can be seamlessly documented -- from the server port through the patch panel all the way to the switch. The assigned_connector field links directly to the patching infrastructure: patch panels, wall outlets, and distribution cabinets are part of a continuous cable chain.
• VLAN assignment: Ports can be assigned to Layer 2 networks. Trunk ports receive multiple VLANs, access ports a single default VLAN. This documents the logical network segmentation -- a prerequisite for well-founded segmentation reports and compliance evidence.
• Troubleshooting speed/duplex mismatches: Speed and duplex mode are often underestimated but are a classic source of errors: one port on 100 Mbit/s half-duplex, the remote end on autonegotiation -- the result is packet loss and poor performance. When these values are documented in i-doit, the error can be identified within minutes instead of spending hours troubleshooting on the switch.
• MAC address tracking: The documented MAC address enables tracking of unknown or unauthorized devices on the network. A report on all MAC addresses compared with the switch output immediately shows whether an unauthorized device has been connected -- essential for network security.
• Capacity planning: Using the Report Manager, you can evaluate which ports are active, which speeds are in use, and where free capacity remains. A report "Switches with less than 10% free ports" provides early warning of bottlenecks.

Fields#

Title#

The name of the port, e.g. eth0, GigabitEthernet0/1 or ens192. This value appears in the category list view and in reports.

Type#

The port type, e.g. Ethernet, FC (Fibre Channel) or 10GBase-T. Dialog+ field -- custom values can be added as needed.

Mode#

The operating mode of the port: Access (single VLAN) or Trunk (multiple VLANs). Relevant for VLAN documentation and the correct assignment of Layer 2 networks.

Plug#

The physical plug type, e.g. RJ-45, SFP, SFP+ or LC. Dialog+ field for documenting the physical connection type.

Autonegotiation#

Indicates whether the port negotiates speed and duplex automatically with the remote end (Yes) or whether fixed values are configured (No).

Duplex#

The duplex mode: Full (simultaneous send and receive) or Half. For modern Gigabit connections, full-duplex is standard.

Speed and Unit#

The port speed as a decimal value. The unit is specified separately as Mbit/s or Gbit/s, e.g. 1 + Gbit/s for a Gigabit port.

default#

The network standard, e.g. 1000BASE-T, 10GBASE-SR or 100BASE-TX. Dialog+ field -- custom values can be added.

MAC address#

The MAC address of the port in the format AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF. Important for unique identification at Layer 2.

MTU#

The Maximum Transmission Unit in bytes, e.g. 1500 (standard Ethernet) or 9000 (Jumbo Frames).

Connected to#

Using the object browser, the remote end is selected -- another port or a connection on a patch panel. This creates the physical connection chain.

Cable#

Link to a cable object. Enables the documentation of the used cables (type, length, title) as an independent CMDB object.

Active#

Indicates whether the port is active (Yes) or disabled (No). Useful for capacity planning and identifying unused ports.

Host address#

Assigned IP addresses from the Host address category. Links the port with its logical addressing.

Layer 2 network assignment#

VLAN assignment of the port. For trunk ports, multiple Layer 2 networks can be assigned. The VLANs must have been created beforehand as separate objects of type Layer 2 Network.

Default VLAN#

The native VLAN or default VLAN of the port. For access ports this is the only VLAN; for trunk ports it is the untagged VLAN.

Description#

Free text for additional details: configuration notes, port security settings, special features, or references to external documentation.

Technical Reference#

Fields (API Reference)#

API Examples#

Create Entry#

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{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "cmdb.category.save",
    "params": {
        "apikey": "your-api-key",
        "object": 123,
        "category": "C__CATG__NETWORK_PORT",
        "data": {
            "title": "GigabitEthernet0/1",
            "port_type": "Ethernet",
            "port_mode": "Access",
            "plug_type": "RJ-45",
            "negotiation": 1,
            "duplex": "Full",
            "speed": 1,
            "speed_type": 2,
            "standard": "1000BASE-T",
            "mac": "AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:01",
            "mtu": "1500",
            "active": 1,
            "description": "Uplink to core switch, port security enabled"
        }
    },
    "id": 1
}

Read Entries#

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{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "cmdb.category.read",
    "params": {
        "apikey": "your-api-key",
        "object": 123,
        "category": "C__CATG__NETWORK_PORT"
    },
    "id": 2
}

Update Entry#

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{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "cmdb.category.save",
    "params": {
        "apikey": "your-api-key",
        "object": 123,
        "category": "C__CATG__NETWORK_PORT",
        "entry": 45,
        "data": {
            "speed": 10,
            "speed_type": 2,
            "standard": "10GBASE-SR",
            "plug_type": "SFP+",
            "description": "Upgrade 2026-04: 10G SFP+ module installed"
        }
    },
    "id": 3
}